How to Install Carpet in Hall & Stairway

Measure the length of your hall. For purposes of this article we will assume your hall is 5 feet.

Measure the length of each step and the height of the riser. For purposes of this article we will assume you have a step length of 1 foot and a height of 6 inches. Add the height of the riser and the length of the step together for a total of 18 inches. If all your steps are the same measurement then times that total by the number of steps. For purposes of this article we will assume you have 20 steps: 18 inches by 20 steps equals 30 feet plus 1 more step as a safety measure, this will equal 31 feet and 6 inches of carpet needed for the stairs. Add the 31 feet 6 inches onto the length of your hall for a total of 36 feet and 6 inches.

Nail the tack bars along the wall of the hall and nail to the floor.

Start at the opposite end of the staircase in the hall. Cut the padding to come up to the tackbar, but not over it. Cover the entire surface with your padding and tack down with staples to the floor, staple every 2 feet in either direction. Cut the carpet to leave 1 inch extra along the walls all the way to the stair case.

Stretch the carpet using your knee kicker by placing the teeth side down on the carpet and kicking with your knee on the padded surface. Cut any excess off the edge to maintain an inch extra. Tuck the excess under the baseboard with your putty knife.

Continue Step 5 until you reach the stair case. Cut the carpet to the width of the staircase and roll the carpet back up to the top.

Cut the padding to be 2 inches in from each side of the carpet and to the length of the step plus 1 inch to fold over the nose of the step. Staple the padding to secure it onto the steps.

Unroll the carpet and shape it to each step by pushing it back to the riser of each step. Start at the bottom of the stair case and staple the carpet to the bottom of the fist riser. Use your knee kick stretcher and stretch the carpet on top of the step to the back of the next riser. Staple the carpet to secure it. Continue doing this on each step until you reach the top. You will end up with excess carpet that is buckling at the top. Cut the carpet in a straight line where you will be seaming it.

Overlap the cut you just did, and cut through both pieces at the same time to match the cuts of each piece.

Cut to length and place the carpet tape under the seam.

Using your carpet iron, place it on top of the tape and let the carpet lay over the iron. Start moving the iron once it melts the glue that is on the tape.

Press the carpet down firmly meeting the seam as you move the iron until you reach the end and remove the iron, then quickly press the carpet together. You are now done installing the carpet.